Call Me...Maybe

My buddy Daniel Bergman made this cover - he's trying to win a Coke contest - but I just really think it's an awesome song! Very catchy!!

2:34 is the best lol

TechComm Commercial

We are making commercials with the help of the first year DMD students. We write the commercials - they shoot them. Here is a rough cut of what my good friend, Jesse, made so far. 

First Time at Oasis Church - Documentary

Three friends, first time, church...

This is for our TV Documentary class at Red River College. Oasis Community Church is "the church for people who don't go to church." So I brought three friends who don't normally go. 

See what happened...

Winnipeg Humane Society Telethon

The WHS Telethon by the Red River College students was a huge success! It aired all day on Sunday March 18 on SHAW TV. The students hosted, directed, and produced the entire telethon.

Mayor Sam Katz, YouTube hit Sean Quigley, and the Bombers QB Buck Pierce were in attendance for the day.

Joanne Kelly, former SHAW TV host, was our fearless leader for the day. Now a CreComm instructor, Joanne was the previous host of the WHS Telethon. 

The Telethon was great for advertising students, like me, to get LIVE TV experience! This was a great day - video coming soon!

80% Of What We Say Is Non-Verbal

It's an amazing stat, and it's true. This is how you typically know what kind of mood a person is in before they say anything. We have a great ability to do this, if we pay attention.

But how can this be? If this were really true, then we should trust more of what people are saying non-verbally than verbally!

You've probably experienced this if you've met a stranger, and you just didn't get a good feeling from them. (And then later you see them on the news as a car thief.) Sometimes we call this a "bad vibe" or a "sketchy" feeling. 

But how do we speak non-verbally anyway?

Well, we say so much with our body language, facial expressions, use of space, volume, tone, consistency, and eye contact.

All of this overpowers our voice - 80 to 20.

***

So how about companies, and brands more specifically? 

Well, they're alive! And they communicate - verbally and non-verbally. 

This is why it's so important for a brand to act and appear on-strategy non-verbally. Because the actual words you say in your advertisements, or on your website for example, are really ONLY 20% of what your brand is saying.

A company/brand is really saying more non-verbally. 

This is the way brands and companies say lots before saying anything:

      Body language - ever seen a Nike ad in Seniors Living Magazine?

      Facial expressions - ever been to a run-down Home Depot?

      Use of space - ever been to a spa in the rough part of town?

      Volume - ever NOT heard a Kern Hill Furniture ad?

      Tone - ever seen a slow Mazda ad?

      Consistency - ever seen a blue Coke in a different font?

      Eye contact - ever heard of the slap chop?

These are just a few ways brands say LOTS before they even say anything.

Life lesson: When people see us, we've already said a lot...

My Client's Website

The only thing I could possibly blog about is our IPPs (independent professional projects) right now. A year's worth of work is due on Monday the 27th. Here is a small example of the work I have been doing. My client, Sun Valley RV, has agreed to let me update the layout and appearance of their website.

I wanted their website to better align with their friendly, welcoming brand. They have made their dealership a great place for RV buyers to enjoy browsing, so the site should be the same!

Take a look.

Before

After

I made the phone number bigger and put their logo at the top of the page. The company name, "Sun Valley RV" is in one font only. There are more links to interesting stuff like videos. And visually there are more things to do (read: interesting/exciting).

Check it out for yourself: SunValleyRV.com

IPP Update: Direct Mailer

So here we are, IPPs coming down to the wire! Everyone's scramblin' to get their projects done.

On that note, here's a sample of my latest creative - a slightly photoshoped direct mailer that we are sending to motorhome customers (of my client, Sun Valley RV).

Now

Before

We want to let all previous customers know that Sun Valley now has Winnebago RVs! The direct mailer will also be signed by the owner to add a personal touch.

It's a cost-effective way to reach all customers across the province and keep our relationship positive.